Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The group will top the bill at the debut Download event at Longchamps Racecourse in Paris, France on June 10 before returning to their native UK for the annual concert weekend at Donington Park on June 12.

Tickets for both festivals go on sale on this Friday, October 23.

The homecoming will mark the band’s only UK appearance of 2016 as they tour the world in support of “The Book Of Souls.”

“Download is a very special place for us,” says frontman Bruce Dickinson. “Not just because it’s always great to play on home turf but because there’s a truly unique vibe there, it’s the very heart of England and of metal, so a fitting place for Iron Maiden.

"The crowd is always fiercely passionate and the whole band feeds off that famous Donington energy. We aim to deliver a really memorable show for our fans to close the 2016 Festival. Although this is our sixth time headlining at Castle Donington, it’s the first time we’ve been able to land Ed Force One right on the doorstep of the festival site."

Iron Maiden will launch the world tour with three US concerts starting February 24 in Fort Lauderdale, FL before hitting Central America for dates in Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Shows in South America follow before a return to the States at the end of March for six more cities and and a two-week run across Canada.